In this paper, the authors explore a methodology for assessing learners' meta-pragmatic awareness of variation in French language use. "Meta-pragmatic awareness" is defined as knowledge of the social meaning of variable second language forms and awareness of the ways in which these forms mark different aspects of social contexts, and is therefore "a crucial force behind the meaning-generating capacity of language in use." The authors take as a test case for the study of this phenomenon the learners' awareness and use of address forms, or the "T/V system" in French. The "T/V system" ("tu" versus "vous" in French) is a key component of sociolinguistic competence in European languages, presenting a complex, dynamic, and inherently ambiguous matter of social indexicality, a case where knowledge of language form necessarily intersects with broader awareness of sociocultural norms and personal identities. To contextualize the study, the authors first offer a summary of contemporary sociolinguistic description of address forms in French, followed by a review of studies examining the role of socialization in the development of address form competence. They then present a description of the research methodology employed in this study with a summary of the results and a discussion of their implications. (Contains 3 tables and 1 note.)

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